When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39

Last week left some of us wondering where Jesus was when the rains came tumbling down in torrents, flooding streets and streams, and causing day to resemble night. For a bit I thought we might be having another solar eclipse, a very long one. Everyone we talked to was joking about building arks. For most of us, the storms were an inconvenience, but for some, rapidly rising water became a life and death trial. Several notable water rescues were reported by local news stations. And our weather forecasting teams were in their element, warning everyone to “turn around, don’t drown” and making sure we knew all our severe weather safety tips. They claim they aren’t sharing their predictions of baseball sized hail, sixty mile an hour winds, and, oh yes, the stray tornado or two that will likely pop up, to frighten us. They just want us to be prepared.  

We all know that the tag line of any story gathers more interest and higher ratings when it hints at frightening consequences or an unpredictable outcome. Alas, our trusted weather icons are no different. And so, when we hear predictions of large hail, the vehicles go in the garage. Strong wind means the deck furniture is clustered and its profile reduced. If the forecast includes possible tornadoes, my go-bag is packed for a trip to the safe room if and when the siren sounds. And we don’t hesitate to take advantage of that safe room if needed.

How did we manage back in the days when all the sophisticated weather predicting technology didn’t exist. When the sky darkened and we heard thunder in the distance, we went inside because we assumed it was going to rain. If winds were howling and we heard a sound that resembled a freight train, we rushed to the basement or cellar to ride it out. If we lived near water and saw it rising, we knew when it was time for us to evacuate.

Then and now, one thread probably remains the same, the unknown always packs a punch of good old-fashioned fear. It’s a natural human emotion and we’ve all fallen prey to it at one time or another. And the storms of our lives may be natural disasters, I’ve personally been witness to many of those, or they may be metaphorical. Our storms could be of a financial nature, or they could result from health issues. Broken relationships, lost careers, depression or PTSD are just a few of the storms we must navigate. And, my friends, none are easy.

We have a great family living across the street from us and they have a philosophy about life that seems very sound to me. It goes something like this: If I live to see another day, I’ll have more time to spend with family and friends. But if I die tonight, I’ll have eternity to spend with Jesus. Either way I’m a winner! I can’t think of a better way to approach life.

We all live in an ocean filled with both tranquil days and raging waves but with Jesus at the helm, all is well! As you travel through the storms of life and find yourself approaching an unexpected or imperfect ending, fear not! Just around the corner lies a perfect new beginning.

Jesus wasn’t thrown off by thunderstorms [when he walked this earth], and He’s not caught

off guard by the storms in our lives now. It might look like Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat,

but He’s actually fixing the rudder. Bob Goff, Live in Grace, Walk in Love (Paraphrased)

This story developed a Postscript: I had just completed writing on Sunday evening and was settled into starting a new puzzle while Ken surfed the online news stories of the day. The storms of the weekend were winding down and our lives were beginning to feel normal again. I’d taken my phone with me in anticipation of a good night text from my granddaughter and it suddenly jumped to life with a weather service warning of a tornado near us. We made a hasty trip to our safe room where we waited through the sound of wailing sirens, wind and heavy rain until our local warning expired. Luckily, we hadn’t lost power and our cell phones had a decent signal through the steel walls that shielded us. And, praise God, we were spared to live another day. We learned that the tornado had touched down just a couple of miles from our home. Once the adrenaline spike wore off we watched radar for a couple more hours to be sure the storms had cleared our kids’ home as well.

We were safe, but this past weekend had been costly for many in mid America. Some lost loved ones to raging water and twisting winds. Others lost all their material possessions and are wondering where to start picking up the pieces. To them we offer our prayers and whatever tangible assistance we can.

We just never know when unexpected storms will shove us down a path we never expected, but we can be ready for whatever comes if we choose to let Jesus take the helm of our boat. And that sunshine we woke to on Monday morning? Well, it sure looked good!